Give em Hell
by The Duckster
Summary: Fred and Peeves have a quick conversation after Fred's death and peeves makes him an offer of a lifetime. During the battle of Hogwarts in DH. Peeves give George a message in his own annoying way.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: after writing _Between Brothers_, this sort of popped into my head. I just like the idea of it somehow. Review please? I promise to get back to my R/Hr prompts but I just want to know what ya'll think of this one. It's my first none R/Hr fic ever.

**Give 'em Hell**

Fred looked around him slowly. Everything looked different somehow, oddly out of focus and his body felt, well it didn't. He realized with a slow jolt he couldn't feel anything. Not the warm smoke filled air that just moments ago had beads of sweat dripping uncomfortably down his skin, not the loud thundering of his heart beats adrenaline driven quick thumping. None of it, it was all gone. He glance around at the hazy world around him, the noise so defining moments before, now came at him as if they were a long ways away.

As he turned around him, trying to understand what was going on and he saw an archway he'd never seen before glowing oddly in it's own light. It was the only thing in crisp clear focus and he stepped toward it gingerly. He could hear loud laughter behind the gossamer thin fabric draping delicately in the arch, fluttering softly in the breeze. The voices beyond sounded as if they were coming from a wild, enjoyable party and he felt himself inexplicably drawn toward it. A great force propelling him forward, towards the glowing entrance way, toward what sounded like the makings of the best party he'd ever been to.

"What does it sound like to you?" A voice to his left asked. He turned his head to see Peeves, hardly recognizable standing upright and somber. There was a slight smile to his face and his hand fingered the bow tie around his neck anxiously. He didn't bother asking him what he was talking about, he just knew.

"Can't you hear them, their laughing. It sounds like their having the greatest party ever. Do you want to come with me, to the party?" Fred asked him, unsure how, but Fred knew he was invited to that party and he felt an anxious desire to get going.

"We all hear something different. For some it's a single voice calling to them, for others it's a quiet chorus of loved ones beaconing to join them." Peeves looked at the archway with what could only be described as fear. How could Peeves fear that? He just felt peaceful as he got closer, who could fear that peaceful feeling? "No, I don't think I'll join you. If I didn't walk through mine it doesn't seem likely I'll walk through yours. Thanks for offering though, very thoughtful."

"What did you hear? If it's always different, what did yours sound like?"

"It's not important really, more important that I did walk through." Fred shrugged and began walking again. "You don't have to either ya know. No ones making you."

"I know." Was all Fred said in return. He cocked his head to one side, his eyes studying the archway again.

"If you stayed here with me, we'd have a great time. You should feel honored, there are dozens of others walking through their own archways right now, your the only one I'm offering this to." Fred turned his studying eyes on Peeves.

"What are you offering exactly."

"Forever. We could play tricks and pull pranks on those who walk the halls of this place until all of time had come and gone. We could be the best pair of tricksters this school has ever seen." Peeves eyes were glinting with the prospect of fun and mayhem.

Fred looked around him again at they hazy corridor he stood in. He saw a flashing glint of red hair and knew who it was despite the distortion.

"No thanks. I appreciate the offer and all but I'm already a founding member of the most awesome prank pulling pair ever. I'm not too interested in a repeat performance."

Peeves looked a little sad yet understanding at his words. Fred began moving again but stopped after only a few steps.

"If you get a chance, tell my other half," Fred struggled for words as the pull to walk towards his party became ever stronger. "tell him he was the best partner in crime the world has ever seen."

A part of him wanted to tell him something else, something warm and loving. That he loved him, that he would miss him, that there was an spare bottle of firewhiskey under the kitchen sink that he'd like his twin to drink for him. It didn't seem to fit though. He knew his brother would understand his meaning if he ever got the message and he really didn't think Peeves would pass along any of those other things anyway. Well, perhaps the firewhiskey.

He began stepping again, now only inches from his destination beyond the veil.

"Good luck." Peeves called loudly to him as he pulled the fabric aside with his hand.

"Give 'em hell for us Peeves." Fred hollered as he walked through the archway and became lost to Peeves sight. The mischievous poltergeist raised his hand in a salute before saying.

"Yes sir."


	2. Chapter 2

It seemed too bright, today being what it was shouldn't mother nature cooperate and shower down buckets of rain? Shouldn't the sky be as dark and stormy? So it would match how the rest of the world felt to him now, now that _he_ was gone. He hadn't spoken a word since he'd heard the news. Every time he prepared to open his speak, he was just overwhelmed by how much better it would sound broken into fragments, half spoken by one just for the other to pick up some where in the middle.

The memorial had been a blur of speeches and sobbing. Someone had asked him at one point he wanted to say a few words but all he could do was stare back at them blankly before nodding his head and wandering off in the other direction. He felt like a ship with out wind, bobbing about where ever the current took him, not even a rudder in the water.

Without any direction from his brain his feet had taken him inside the castle. He wandered aimlessly paying no heed to where he went, after all, it didn't matter where he went any way. He'd still be alone.

An out of place cackle ringing out among the silent corridors brought his attention to the surface. He looked up to see Peeves stringing a large bucket of what looked like stink sap on a wire attached to a large wooden door to his right.

"All alone." Peeves stated as he glided down ward abandoning his project momentarily. "Left for a fancy party where all the world was laughing." He dipped and twirled gracefully, well practiced moves he'd been using for years.

"Bugger off." George smiled a little at himself. _He_ would have been proud at the choice of first words.

"He offered an invite but I don't think I had on the right tie." Peeves was missing the wicked twinkle in his eyes and George found it a little disturbing. He stood still for a long moment. Not caring if he moved forward or stood still, it was all the same. Time passed and it meant nothing to George, Peeves began soaring upward again, attending to his string and bucket. He was just about to step forward again, head back so his mother didn't work herself into a tizzy about not being able to find him, again, but then he stopped.

"What do you mean? _'offered an invite'_ Did you speak with him?" It wasn't impossible after all, Peeves wasn't Peeves also dead and he would have been around. In fact now that he remembered it hadn't he seen Peeves in that hallway. He thought hard to the moments he'd been trying to avoid since they'd happened.

He had stood there, which was odd for Peeves who usually zoomed in and out of places too quickly to get caught by anyone. Was his memory playing tricks on him or did he actually recall Peeves chatting with someone while fiddling with his tie, someone who wasn't there?

"Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. Not a lot of good though, had a party to attend."

"What did he say to you?" Georges quite voice was an urgent plea.

"Little bits of this, little bits of that." Peeves wandered slowly around him so that George had to turn in circles to keep his eyes on him.

"Please, I need to know."

"So serious, I tried to tell him I'd be better at it. We would have been great." Peeves has a faraway look in his eyes as he continued circling George, laying on his back mimicking a swimming stroke.

"Tell him? Great at what?"

"The best tricksters in all of history, that's what I offered." Peeves flipped over and started doing the breaststroke, looking like an odd frog in a bow tie with a propeller ball cap on his head.

"You asked him to stay? What did he say, why did he leave?" his voice was confused, on the edge of panic.

"The party was calling, sounded so fun. Said he was already part of a team and wasn't looking for an understudy." George's brain seemed to be moving too slow for what he was hearing. Like all the gears were covered in goo and couldn't get back up to speed. He'd said that? He was already part of the best tricksters in history. Fred, he winced internally, still not able to say think his name without the hole in his chest widening, _He_ said he wasn't looking for anyone else to pull pranks with.

His insides warmed and he knew without question he wouldn't have accepted Peeve's offer to stick around and pull pranks without the aide of his brother. He muttered a thanks and began wandering down the corridor again.

"Gave me a message the other half." George whirled around in shock. A message, was he serious? He tried not to hope, Peeves wasn't to be trusted with anything but trouble making. Peeves continued on in response to his silence.

"Said you were the best. The best in the world." Peeves eyes seemed to be saying more to him, there was jealousy and resentment there. How badly had this poltergeist coveted what they had? Part of him was suddenly terrified of Peeves but when he looked back the look was gone. His eyes were once again filled with mischief and merriment.

"Thanks," and with that he began walking again. His mind racing at the new prospects before him. Fred had known what he was doing, he chose to move on. And even though it didn't change anything at all everything in George's world changed completely. When he stepped outside the sun was no longer too bright, the clouds weren't a disgusting fluffy white any longer and he even enjoyed the gentle breeze rustling through his hair.

His brother was okay, better then okay it sounded. A party, somehow George was okay with that much more than the image of his slowly descending casket into the cold dark earth. He'd be waiting for him, he knew it. He knew that when his time came Fred would be welcoming his to that party with open arms and most likely a dishy little bird on his arm. It just seemed right that way.

He smiled for the first time in along time, reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box. Opening it his small smile turned into a mischievous grin.

***

Loud pops and bangs rang out over head and for a moment the crowd erupted into panic. Until they saw the swirling glow streaking across the sky in dizzying swirls of color of sparks vivid greens, deep violets, sparkling reds all crackling and popping high in the sky above them.

"Who in the world is lighting off fireworks at an event like this?" Hermione huffed in shock as she folded her arms across her chest. "Completely inappropriate." Molly walked up beside her and wrapped her arm around the young woman's shoulders.

"I don't know about that. I think it's rather perfect." She kissed the top of the girls hair before letting go of her. A soft smile playing along her lips as she wandered toward her husband.


End file.
